As many consumer electronic devices increasingly small, many of the mechanical and structural components inside the devices also become small. For example, small structural mechanisms, like actuators often need to be thin, but also be rigid and have sufficient structural integrity. However, as parts become smaller, it can become more difficult to manufacture the parts.
Some electronic devices have sliders, or actuators, that provide interfaces for a user to mechanically actuate a component disposed within the device. For example, Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. markets a line of iPod™ devices that have hold-switch sliders. A hold-switch slider can allow a user to actuate an electronic hold-switch component located within the housing of the device. When activated, the electronic hold-switch component—i.e., the component that communicates with the electrical circuit—can lock down the iPod™ to prevent a user from unintentionally changing the current operational state of the iPod™.
It may be desirable to design the hold-switch slider to be robust to withstand a large number of cycles. However, it also is desirable to design hold-switch sliders to be thin so that they may sit in very tight areas of the iPod™ devices and yet be easily manufacturable so that the hold-switch slider can be mass produced.
In some electronic devices, actuators that allow a user to actuate an electronic component located within the device may have a single thickness. A single thickness is generally easy to manufacture, but not necessarily capable of withstanding repeated loads. That is, over time the mating region of the actuator may wear more quickly because the load on the actuator may not be distributed over a large region.
In other devices, actuators may weld two pieces together to thicken the mating region. However, because the mating region of the actuator can be very small, the actuator may be difficult to manufacture because of the difficulty involved in fixturing and welding two small pieces.